Zuko
The flight takes several hours, and it may not be as comfortable as napping in Appa's saddle, it's a smooth flight with good weather, and we spend a lot of it with Katara's hands in the waistband of my pants or with her mouth on my neck, so I'm not complaining. When we finally touch down, my mother is waiting for us in the courtyard.
She smiles at us as I hop down and help Katara slide off, then run over and give her a hug.
"So the Fire Lord has finally returned." She laughs. "Maybe now I can relax a little bit. After Your honeymoon, of course." I lean back and kiss her cheek.
"Thank you, Mom. For everything. You've done such an amazing job running the nation while I was gone that I'm pretty sure the people are going to hate me for coming back."
"Only until you show them how much better you are than me." She winks, then walks behind me to where Katara's standing and gives her a hug. "Katara, Darling, you look amazing! Was the ceremony this morning everything you had hoped for?"
"Yes, it was." Katara smiles at her as she pulls back. "His gift with the horses was more than I could have ever wanted."
"While I've missed my son this past year, I'm glad he got to spend so much time with you." She kisses Katara's forehead. "Now, as you both know you have another ceremony for the people of the Fire Nation in a few hours. It'll be important they see you honoring our traditions the way Zuko honored yours for them to accept you, Katara. And I'm also very happy you agreed to a second ceremony the same day so that Iroh, Kiyi, and I could be a part of it."
"Of Course, Ursa!" Katara says. "I'm glad we could make it work like this. Now we don't have to choose."
"And, Zuko…Iroh and I wanted to suggest that, with both of your permission, Azula be allowed to attend the ceremony today." She asks us. We're both silent a second.
"What?" I ask, wanting to make sure I heard right. Mom comes over and takes both of my hands in hers.
"It's okay if you say no. But she has really improved the last year you've been gone. I see her every day. Iroh visits her often. She's on some level even made friends again with Mai and Ty Lee, and her guards. She'd be sitting with Mai and Ty Lee, who would act as guards as needed, and if she were to try anything, Ty Lee can discreetly incapacitate her and take her back to her room. But your Uncle thinks, and I agree, that the wedding ceremony is a good time to make a public appearance as Princess again. However, this day is about the two of you. So you get the final decision on the matter." Mom explains. I take a deep breath and look at my wife.
"Katara?" I ask. Her face is unreadable, but after a moment she speaks.
"Azula has put us through so much, Ursa. She's Crazy, crazy smart, and one of the most skilled fighters I've ever met, maybe even without her Fire Bending. I don't think it's a good idea, I don't trust her. But, I do trust you. If you believe she's changed and ready for this, I believe you. Zuko?" She looks at me. I sigh.
"I…I don't like it either, if I'm being honest. But I've hardly been here this past year, and she was really making good headway the year before. So lets try it, but make sure she's seated where they can make a quick exit with her if needed." I say. Mom smiles at me and squeezes my hands.
"Thank you. Both of you. Now, Katara, you remember where your room is? You'll use it one last time before moving into Zuko's tonight. Servants are waiting there for you now to help you get dressed and ready. It'll be tight, but I think we can make the ceremony at Sunset as planned if we hurry. I can't wait to see both of you tonight." She kisses us each on the cheek and hurries back inside. Once she's gone, Katara turns to me.
"Want to sneak into my room first?" She smiles. I laugh.
"Absolutely. But we don't have long enough for what I want to do." I say and step closer to kiss her. "We'll have tonight, though. So go get ready. I can't wait to see you walking down that aisle again."
"And what are you going to do in the next few hours, Fire Lord?" She teases. "Is All you have to do is shower and get dressed, Zuko?"
"I'm going to go see my Uncle. And my sisters. Both of them." I answer, running my hand through my hair.
"Right. Your sisters. Do you think we made the right choice? Letting Azula attend?"
"I trust my mother and Uncle Iroh. I just hope they're right." I say and lean in to kiss her one more time. "I love you, Water Princess. I'll see you at the aisle." I say and turn to walk towards the Kitchen, where I'd bet every gold coin I have my Uncle is brewing tea.
…
After a very warm welcome home from Uncle Iroh, playing with Kiyi for a while before my mother made her get ready, showering and getting dressed in my best red and gold robes, I finally work up the nerve to go see Azula. Walking down the halls, I stop as I get to her room, which is guarded by two fierce warriors.
"Go take a ten minute break." I tell them. "I want a few minutes alone with my sister."
"Yes, Fire Lord." They say together, then bow and walk off. I steel my nerves and knock.
"Come in." I hear Azula's voice from inside. But it sounds different than before. Less cutting, more gentle.
I walk in and see a sight I never thought I'd see. Azula smiling, her eyes lacking any mischief or malice, just smiling while she brushes her hair with Mai and Ty Lee sitting on her bed behind her, also soft smiles on their faces. Gentleness and happiness are written on Azula's face, but there's almost a sadness behind her eyes, like regret. I've never seen her look this much like our mother, and so little like our father, although she largely physically looks the same. It's a little unnerving.
"Zuko. Welcome home." She says, putting her hairbrush down.
"Since when do you do your own hair? Last time you tried that, you ended up with some choppy bangs." I say. She laughs, and it sounds lighter than before.
"Yeah that was pretty bad." She says.
"Mai, Ty Lee." I Nod to them. "It's good to see you two." Mai gives me a nod and a bow that I return. Things never quite returned to normal for us after the Boiling Rock. But I guess that's a good thing. As much as she tries to hide it, Katara gets jealous easily, especially anytime Mai's brought up, because she knows I've slept with her. That's never going to happen again and she knows that, but Mai still makes her a little uncomfortable, so I never pursued trying to be friends with her after everything. Ty Lee is a different story.
"My Spirits, Zuko!" Ty Lee says as she jumps up to give me a hug. I notice that unlike her usual pink attire, she's wearing a yellow one shoulder dress with a red wrap around the top half, flowing a little onto the skirt. "Your Aura has never been pinker in your life!" I laugh a little and hug her back gently.
"It's good to see you too, Ty Lee. And in Air Nation robes! I didn't realize Aang had reopened the temples already."
"Just a couple months ago. My sisters and I are all at the Western Air Temple. Learning AirBending has been…so enlightening! Like a piece of myself I never knew I was missing, but now it feels like I've known it was there all along."
"So what are you doing here today?"
"Aang let me come with him today for the wedding. I didn't want to miss you and Katara's big day. Ya know, once I stopped trying to take her down, I found out she was actually pretty amazing. Suki wouldn't shut up about her when I was with the Kyoshi Warriors. I'm so glad you two found each other, Zuko! You're perfect together!"
"Thanks Ty Lee. Now, could you two please go ask my Uncle to prepare some Dragon Fruit Tea for us?" I ask them, and Azula smiles a little in my peripheral vision, seeing that I remember her favorite tea. "I'd like to talk to my sister." They both nod at me and walk out the door. Once I'm alone with Azula, I go to sit on her couch, and she follows me.
"You're like a totally different person. How do I know you're not just playing everyone?" I ask. She purses her lips but doesn't act out.
"I'm the same person, Zuko. I've just learned there's more to life than what Father crammed into my head."
"Like what?"
"Like Mother Loves me just as much as she's ever loved you, it was just easier to show it with you. I learned Father never actually loved me, just what he could use me for. I learned if you control people through fear they'll betray you first chance they get, but if they love you they'll die for you if needed. And I've learned not everyone uses each other for capital, and that I don't need to either. "
"How'd you learn all of this in two years?"
"Do you even know how many times Uncle Fatso came to see me? The Jasmine Dragon closes on weekends for him to visit. Although now that he's all buff and shredded, I guess I can't really call him Uncle Fatso anymore." She says and I chuckle.
"Your bending. Do you miss it?" I ask her.
"Of course I miss it. It's a part of me that's missing. But, now that so much time has passed I'm also grateful The Avatar took it away. If it weren't for him, I'd have been in the Boiling Rock the rest of my life, wouldn't I?"
"Yes, you would have." I tell her honestly.
"So I guess I'm lucky then." She purses her lips together.
"You're not angry? Plotting revenge, maybe a way to force Aang to give you your bending back?"
"Sometimes I'm angry. I used to plot revenge. I used to dream about forcing Aang into a position where he had to give me my bending back. But eventually I realized it was all futile. And if for no other reason than my own self interest, I've learned if this is the hand I've been dealt, then this is the hand I'll play."
"Is there any other reason than just your own self interest?"
"If you're asking if I have any remorse in the course of the war and the part I played in it, no. I was a good soldier following Father's orders and goals. As far as war goes, I conducted myself honorably. And I'm angry that you just gave up almost every inch of land our people have fought and died to get for over the last hundred years. But, I can see how our plans to use the comet to end the war by genocide was horrible, as was Great Grandfather Sozin's use of it to wipe out the Air Nation."
"At least you've come this far. Do you even want to come to the wedding today, Azula?"
"Do I want to see you marry a common filthy peasant? No." She says, and an angry heat rises in me.
"Azula-" I start but she raises her hand.
"I know, I know. I've been over it with Mom, Uncle, Ty Lee, and even Mai a hundred times. She's going to be my Fire Lady and I need to show her my respect. That she's this wonderful person, will help our people move into the future, all that. I'll accept it. But I still can't believe you'd let yourself marry outside of our Nation. However, I am grateful you didn't strip me of my position in the family, even if I've been kept on lockdown the last two years. And as a Princess, I'm happy to attend the Fire Lord's wedding. And I agree with Mom and Uncle, it'll be a good event for me to start coming back into society. I'll behave."
"Good. And just so you know, Katara happens to not be a common filthy peasant. She's the daughter of the Southern Water Tribe's Chief, which makes her a princess in her own right. Just because she doesn't have servants doing everything for her doesn't change her political position. She's always been your equal." I tell her sternly. She flashes an irritated look.
"Sure, Zuko. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. If all I've heard about her from everyone is true, then she'll probably be visiting me on the daily. If nothing else, she has my respect. She beat me in a duel while even if my crown was a little crooked that day, I had Sozin's comet on my side."
"Anything else you want to say?" I ask before I leave. I've been gone for a year, after all.
"Just one. I've been learning from Uncle and Mom that I need to be vulnerable, even if I hate it. It helps, or whatever. I want my freedom, so I'm determined to get better. I…I care about you, Zuko. I always have, even if I cared about Father's approval more. Sure I teased you growing up, but I could have kept my mouth shut about Grandfather's plan. I told Mom instead. And I missed her after she was gone. I hated what Father did to you, but I was scared if I stood up for you I'd share your fate. Years later, yes, I would have captured you and Uncle after the Siege of the North Pole to keep Father's approval. But I didn't lie to Father about killing the Avatar myself for purely for personal protection. I did want him to accept you back into our family. And I warned against you visiting Uncle in prison because I was worried about you falling from Father's good graces again, because I like my life better when you're in it. I think I really understood that for the first time when the four of us went to Ember Island."
"And Burned Mai's fiancé's beach house down." I smirk. Azula laughs softly.
"Not our best moment. Was fun at the time, though. Especially the Volleyball game."
"Does he realize that was us?"
"He freaked out a little when we met him again. Especially when Mai brought him with her when she was guarding me one day and he found out that you and I were the prince and Princess. But he got over it. The political perks Mai comes with I guess was a little too much for him to pass up. But anyways, Zuko, all this sappy stuff to say, in a strange way, I'm glad things worked out the way they did, even if I was on the losing end of the stick."
"Wow, you have changed." I smirk. She rolls her eyes.
"I'm glad you're home. I care about you."
"You love me?" I probe teasingly, surprisingly getting to be at ease with her.
"Don't push it, or I'll start calling you ZuZu again."
"Don't." I growl, making her chuckle. I stand up and smooth my robes. "I'll see you at the ceremony. I say and straighten my robes, then head out right as Mai and Ty Lee are getting back.